Oni The Path of a Shinobi
by Darth Xelas
Summary: By becoming a ninja, he thought he could pursue his dream...Little did he know that he had created a new one. Follow the tale of Katsuro and his allies as they fight to protect Konoha by becoming legends in the world of shinobi. Birth of Team Zero.
1. Introduction

Oni

The Path of a Shinobi

By DarthXelas

**Summary**

Hey, all. This is going to be my first fan fiction that I've ever posted on the web. I hope that you like it and even if you don't, I hope that you all will write reviews regardless. If you haven't noticed, this is a Naruto fanfic, but it will NOT be about Naruto the character. Yes, there will be times that he will appear and yes he will be different from the normal Naruto, but alas he is not the main character of the story. So if you don't like that, please, stop reading now and don't leave a review on how you wish he was the main character, because those will just waste valuable writing time.

I will try my best to update regularly, but as a fair warning, it took me a couple months of writing to finish the first chapter, so there will be times that I won't have anything to put down. I'll be dividing each chapter into parts, to space out my story, because I don't think I can put a 123 paged chapter down in one go. :P

Well, without further ado, I give you Oni, Path of a Shinobi.

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Hints

_Italicized words are thoughts_…

Parentheses typically explain or translate something…

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Introduction

Wolves. Damn wolves. That was the thought that Katsuro woke with every morning, because no matter how well he shielded his mind he would always dream of them. In truth, he had nothing against wolves, mainly because if he did, the Inuzuka clan would have his head. But not even in Kiba's or his entire clan's wildest nightmares could compare to the images that appeared in his dreams. A great white wolf, white as the moon, tails as menacing as snakes and eyes filled with such an evil intent that it locked you in a frozen state of madness…that, and the knowledge that such a monster existed inside of you made it extremely hard to sleep. So, as always the thirteen year old boy snapped awake with a start.

There were times that the nightmares weren't that bad and all that would "snap" would be Katsuro's eyes, but on this particular morning the boy sat fully upright from his small cot on the floor with sweat covering his entire body. Seeing how this particular night was rather disturbing, Katsuro took his time and gathered his thoughts, allowing the fear and stress to pass. Once his heartbeat had slowed, he rose from his bed and went to his small window looking outside.

As always, it was nearly two hours earlier than he needed to be awake, for the sun wasn't even up. Sighing, Katsuro took his view from the window and made his way to a small wooden desk at the opposite side of the room. Turning on the lamp light, thus filling the room with a dim radiance, he reached over to the alarm clock and switched it off so he wouldn't have to deal with the noise later. From there he quietly left the room, entered a hallway and took a right at the first and only door, the bathroom.

As per habit, seeing how he lived alone and it made it hard to hear things in his surroundings, he left the door open and turned on the light. After answering nature's call he, looked in the mirror above the sink and stared at the tired face before him.

Katsuro was young, barely 13. His dark skin contrasted with the white walls of the bathroom and his neck length dread locks made him stand out in a crowd. Yet while he had the face of a thirteen year old, his body and eyes resembled something else entirely. His body was basically all muscle, a result of daily shinobi (ninja) training at the academy and his eyes were the strange blue eyes of the Oni Ookami (Demon Wolf) that resided in his mind and body.

Upon seeing those eyes, the young teen grunted and quickly turned on the water and splashed his face. Rubbing his face clean, Katsuro waited till the memories of his latest nightmare faded, only then did he open his eyes. This time, bright brown eyes stared back at him, causing a sigh of relief to come from him. It had been a long time since the wolf had caused such a change…why now?

Feeling his anger rise, the young ninja trainee began washing himself, for this was no normal day…today he was graduating and today was the day he kept a long overdue promise. There was no way ANYTHING, not even a Sanbi (Three tailed) Ookami was getting in his way.

"Damn wolves…" Katsuro muttered as he stripped his bed wear and climbed into the shower.

By the time the sun had become visible, the teen was dressed and in his living room/kitchen of his small apartment. Having never known his parents, Katsuro lived alone in the orphan housing in the village. Despite his age, the boy was more than capable of taking care of himself and required little maintenance from the land lady of the place, nor did he cause much trouble. His neighbor however, Naruto Uzumaki, sometimes was berated by the kind old lady due to the catastrophic noise he made whenever he was late…like the noise he was making now which could easily be heard through the wall.

"OH NO!!" yelled the Naruto through the wall. "I woke up late AGAIN!!" Sounds of destruction soon followed.

Katsuro shook his head in humor; Naruto NEVER woke up on time. _Even on the exam day he still overslept, _thought Katsuro. _Must be a mental disorder._

Ignoring the sounds of war from beyond the wall, Katsuro continued to eat his breakfast in silence as he brought his thoughts back to his own life. Today was more than an exam to the young trainee…today was the day he kept his promise to his only family left. _I'm almost there Daichi…Sho…just wait a little longer._

Soon Katsuro finished his meal and cleaned up after himself, a habit that he built into himself. Once finished with that, the trainee heard a knock on his door. Looking over at the clock on the wall, Katsuro smirked. _Perfect timing._ Grabbing his ninja pouch, a bag filled with equipment such as kunai and explosive notes, Katsuro answered the door to two boys around his age. "Good mornin' guys," said Katsuro with a grin on his face, "here early for once."

"Yeah well," replied the one known as Hyuuga Akira, "we have a reason this morning." Akira was a tall kid, about Katsuro's height, that wore glasses, which was strange considering the clan he descended from. Being from the Hyuuga clan, he had extremely fine shoulder length hair that was tied in a pony tail and a pair of pale lavender, eyes, without any visible pupils. Being from the branch family, he bore a mark on his forehead which was covered by a blue bandanna. He wore a white sleeveless vest, which was open, exposing the dark blue t-shirt underneath. He also had a pair of white shorts on that went down to his shins and had plenty of pockets, along with a pair of blue sandals.

Yawning, the other kid nodded his agreement with Akira's statement. Katsuro couldn't help but smile at him, for he knew the kid could care less anyway.

"Don't look too excited Hideaki," said Katsuro to his yawning friend. "You might end up hurting yourself with the effort."

The lazy boy known as Hideaki opened one eye to look at Katsuro and replied in the middle of his yawn, "Fuck you." With that, he continued to yawn as if no one said anything, causing Katsuro and Akira to chuckle at his antics. Hideaki, like Katsuro, was an orphan that lived in the same housing. Having no memory of his past and not really caring, the dark eyed kid didn't know his last name or where he was from. He had short black hair which was combed back save for a single bang which hung lazily in his face. He was quite a bit shorter than his two friends, Katsuro and Akira, but not quite as short as Naruto, who could still be heard from his apartment as he scrambled to get ready. He was also a bit more muscular. According to the females their age, he was quite the looker…of course he didn't care.

Hideaki and Katsuro had a nasty habit of dressing like each other which was proven as they both sported black, shin length shorts and a black shirt with a high neck, along with a pair of black sandals. The only difference between their two outfits was that Hideaki's shirt had no sleeves and he wore a pair of fingerless gloves, while Katsuro's shirt DID have short sleeves and he had white bandages wrapping up both of his lanky arms, up to his elbows. Seeing that they had dressed alike again, both of the boys said the same thing at the same time.

"Why do you ALWAYS copy me…" they said in unison, causing Akira to fall out laughing.

"Hey!" yelled Katsuro with a vein pulsing on his forehead. "Look here short stuff!!"

"Who are you callin' short, bean stalk!?" retorted Hideaki.

Growling, the two dropped it and sighed as Akira continued to laugh. He however stopped laughing as the two stared him down.

Raising his hands in a surrendering gesture, Akira spoke. "Hey, I'm not laughing at anybody…just enjoying the morning."

Laughing, the three began to walk off, after Katsuro shut and locked his door. They didn't make it two steps until Naruto suddenly busted free of his room in a panicked hurry. Frantically locking his door, the short, blonde kid rushed past the three clad in his orange and white jumpsuit, yelling as he went. "I don't believe I woke up late! I have to get to the Academy now!"

As Naruto dashed by, Hideaki raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Um…"

Akira nodded. "Yeah, he's not wearing it."

"Hey Naruto!" yelled Katsuro after his neighbor. "Hold up!"

Naruto glanced back as he continued towards the steps. "Come on you guys," he shouted back, "we're going to be late!"

"And you are going to fail the exam!" yelled Hideaki.

Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned around with a confused expression. "Why do you say that?"

Katsuro shook his ninja pouch in front of him. "You aren't wearing yours nimrod."

Naruto blinked his blue eyes a couple of times then yelled as he dashed back to his door. Basically kicking the door open, the blonde kid rushed inside and began tearing his apartment to shreds as he searched for his ninja pouch.

The three stood in silence for awhile until Akira began to walk towards the steps.

"Where you goin'?" asked Hideaki with an eyebrow raised.

Akira glanced over his shoulder as he kept walking. "You two can be late on your exam day if you want…I'm sure as hell not going to though," he replied.

Hideaki and Katsuro watched as Akira made it to the steps and leapt over the railings down to the buildings below. Sighing Hideaki made his way after him saying something under his breath like "he has a point."

Left alone, Katsuro peeked into Naruto's place only to flinch at the sight and sounds. Rolling his eyes, the teen called into the apartment. "Hey Naruto! We're gone! Make sure you get there on time man!"

Naruto's voice responded from the back of the apartment. "I will, Believe It!"

Nodding, Katsuro took off after Hideaki and dashed for the railings. Taking his friend's idea, Katsuro simply leapt over the railing and landed on the building a couple of floors below. With that he took off, using the rooftops of the buildings, towards the academy. It was time to become a ninja.


	2. To Become a Ninja Pt 1

Oni

Oni

The Path of a Shinobi

By Darth Xelas

**Summary**

Alright, this is the starting chapter to the story. This chapter will be divided into parts that I will try and release every weekend. Of course there will be times that I won't be able to, because I do have a life, but I will try my best regardless. :P

Please read AND review, because there is no other way for me to know if anyone is reading if you don't at least review. Thank you!

_Italicized words are thoughts._

Words in parentheses are typically translations or explaining something.

**Chapter 1: To Become a Ninja Part 1**

The Hidden Village of the Leaf, also known as Konoha was the ninja village located in the Country of Fire. In the wide expanse of woods, ninja were taught and trained to do the service of their country. Of all the ninja villages in the world, Konoha was labeled as the strongest due to its past history and tendency to produce legendary ninja, such as Legendary Sannin and Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage.

The village was as large as a city and had a huge wall separating it from the forest all the way around. The academy was located under the mountain face that bore the faces of the four Hokages. As Katsuro and his friends moved towards the building, other shadows could be seen throughout the village heading towards the same location.

The academy was a rather large building capable of housing several grades of trainees from the ages of 7 to 13. The building had several facilities that were used for various training situations, such as taijutsu (hand to hand combat) dojo's, ninjutsu and genjutsu practice areas and ranged weapon grounds.

As the sun place itself firmly in the sky and seven o' clock came to be, the first chime of the Academy's bell sounded. From inside the academy, Naruto could be heard tearing through the hall towards his class. By the time the second chime rang, Katsuro and his friends, along with Shikamaru and Kiba, took their seats.

Kiba was the only trainee with a pet, a small white dog by the name of Akamaru, which rested inside the boy's favorite grey hoodie that had fur on the hood. He had a some what bestial look and his wild nature went along with it perfectly.

Shikamaru was the classes' laziest student who did what was needed to pass and that was it. Compared to the other students he was pretty lanky, and tall, like Katsuro. He had black spiky hair tied up into a spiky, upright ponytail.

Just before the third and final chime rang, Naruto busted through the half open door, tripped and slid across the floor right into their instructor's desk…Umino Iruka.

Iruka was one of the many Chuunin (Captain Shinobi) instructors at the academy who taught various grades. He was strict and abided closely to the rules, but overall he was a pretty nice guy…unless you were late to his class. He had spiky hair like Shikamaru and a long scar that went across the bridge of his nose.

As Naruto kissed the floor and blessed the Hokages for being on time, Iruka stood over him, eyebrow twitching. "Naruto…" said the Chuunin, his voice barely restrained.

Naruto looked up at him. "What?" he asked in a clueless tone.

Iruka lost it. "Don't WHAT me!! What have I told you about being late!?"

Naruto stood instantly, finger pointed at Iruka. "Bullshit! I made it here BEFORE that stupid bell finished! YOU said, as long as I'm here before the bell I'm safe!"

Iruka reached out like lightning and hoisted Naruto off the ground, shaking him comically. "I said you had to be in your SEAT," Iruka gestured at the rest of the class, "by the time the bell finished you IDIOT!"

Naruto, getting dizzier by the minute was still able to retort. "Did not!"

Iruka shook Naruto so hard that the poor boy's eyes became spirals. "NARUTO…!"

A few minutes passed and Naruto was sent to his seat with another tardy on his record…a perfect way to start of a graduation exam. Clearing his throat, Iruka calmed the class and caused Shikamaru to wake up, who had fallen asleep during Naruto's challenge with the teacher.

"Good morning class," said Iruka, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The class replied good morning in various ways…Akira by doing a quick wave, Hideaki responded with a "yo", and Katsuro simply nodded. Naruto simply sniffed loudly and refused to look in his sensei's direction, obviously still upset about his most recent tardy. Taking in all of his students responses, Iruka moved on.

"Despite a rough start," said Iruka, glancing in Naruto's direction, "I am happy to see you all here, ready to graduate. As you already know, today is the day that we will put you through the five tests known collectively as the genin exam. By analyzing and grading your results, other chuunin and I will decide if you are ready to become ninja of Konoha."

The room busted out with excited and nervous whispers, for this was the day that they all could become part of the ninja world, a world shrouded in battle and darkness. There were some however, that did not react to Iruka's statement…for first, they already realized what it meant…or second, they didn't really care. One of those people was Uchiha Sasuke, the number one student in the class and the last known survivor of the Uchiha clan, presumably one of the strongest clans in Konoha's history.

Sasuke, like Akira, was a quiet kid, yet unlike Katsuro's friend, Sasuke saw no reason to interact with other people and had no friends whatsoever. Many saw took this to be the brunt of the Uchiha's arrogance and pride, Kiba…but Katsuro along with his friends, saw it as something else. Whatever it was that kept Sasuke away from people, was not arrogance…because whatever it was also made him the top in the class. Of all the trainees present, Sasuke was the best, something that Hideaki, the boy who typically didn't care, had problems acknowledging.

When it came to Sasuke's looks and choices of wears he was quite simple. He had pale skin, obsidian eyes and somewhat spiky black hair, with bangs hanging in the front. He was a little taller than Hideaki and wore a blue/white outfit. The high neck blue shirt he wore had the Uchiha Symbol (a red fan with a white handle) on the back. When it came to his physique, he was built similar to everyone else, yet he bore a natural handsomeness that rivaled Hideaki's. The girls thought the Uchiha was the alpha male when it came to that category…along with everything else. Even though this annoyed Sasuke, along with most of the other boys in the class, it made life easy for Katsuro and Hideaki, for it separated all the smart chicks from the dumb asses. Akira could care less, for he had little interest in relationships, despite his friend's best effort to change that fact.

Shino, the ever mysterious child from the Aburame Clan, also said nothing to Iruka's statement, which wasn't surprising, seeing how he hardly said anything at all. Out of all the students, Shino was the only one who wore sunglasses on an everyday basis, a trait his entire clan shared. He had wild, upright, black hair and an extremely serious demeanor. He wore a grey over coat with a neck that was high enough to cover the lower part of his face. He also wore a pair of shorts and sandals, resembling nearly everyone else in the class.

To add to the list of non interested people, Shikamaru seemed quite at peace with the whole situation, as he stared out the window up at the clouds…one of his favorite hobbies.

To top it off, Katsuro, Akira and Hideaki all sat quietly, not even speaking to each other, for they wanted to get the show on the road. Though no one would guess, the three trainees were more than ready to pass the exam, for their skills secretly rivaled Sasuke's. Why did no one know? Because, as Katsuro had put it, it wasn't anyone else's business…but they would know at the end of the day. So instead of talking, the three simply grinned and waited.

Iruka noticed the three smirking in the back of the room, he decided to be nosy. "What are you three so happy about eh, Hideaki?"

Hideaki smiled as he rotated a pencil between his fingers absentmindedly. "The fact that we're going to kick this exam's ass," he responded, causing his friends to smile also.

Sasuke, betraying his normal attitude, chuckled and spoke. "This is coming from one of the laziest people I know."

Hideaki brought his eyes to the Uchiha's, who was smirking. "Just wait and see Sasuke," he said, "just wait and see."

Iruka shook his head in amusement; his class certainly had some characters. "Alright then…then let's go ahead and get on to it then shall we? As I've already mentioned, there will be five tests that will be graded to form you overall exam grade. The first is the written Test."

Naruto could be heard groaning in displeasure.

Glaring at his student, Iruka continued. "The second test will be the genjutsu exam, which will test your ability in dispelling a basic illusion and performing one yourself."

Katsuro AND Naruto could be heard groaning in displeasure. A vein appeared on Iruka's forehead.

"Moving on, you two…" said Iruka, slightly frustrated. "The third will be the accuracy test, involving kunai and shurikens…"

"Hell yeah…" said Akira quietly, causing Katsuro and Hideaki to laugh. Iruka's eyes narrowed into slits.

"The FOURTH test…" the chuunin tried his best to keep calm, despite the growing noise in his room. "Will be a taijutsu examination."

Katsuro cheered along with Kiba and Naruto, causing many others to join in.

That was it.

"HEY!" yelled Iruka, silencing the class. "May I FINISH?!" The chuunin looked around the room as everyone nodded in silence. "Thank you…now…the last exam will be a ninjutsu exam, which will test your ability to perform three basic jutsu that we choose. Any questions?"

The class remained quiet until Hideaki waved a finger in a circle in the air and quietly cheered, "Whoo-hoo! Ninjustu!" This caused everyone to fall out laughing; even Sasuke shook his head in amusement. Iruka simply covered his face, giving up. It was impossible to control these kids sometimes.

Once the laughter began to die down, a pretty girl with light red hair (so light that it actually appeared pink) raised her hand with a question on her mind. Seeing her hand, Iruka acknowledged her, thus silencing the rest of the class.

"Yes Sakura?" he asked.

The girl known as Sakura lowered her hand as she was called on. Sakura was one of the most stunning girls to cross the face of the earth as she captivated many with her natural beauty. She had on her red outfit along with a pair of tight shorts that stopped right before her knees. She had a cute face, despite a slightly large forehead and the biggest pair of green eyes imaginable, thus matching her pink hair. It was a sad fact however that such beauty was wasted…for she was just another Sasuke lover in the eyes of everyone in the class. The only one who showed any kind of affection for her was Naruto…who was rebuffed on every advance he made towards her.

"Well," began Sakura, "I just wanted to know if we had to pass each individual test in order to pass the exam."

Iruka shook his head, putting many in the class at ease. "No," he responded to Sakura's question. "We realize that each one of you have talents and weaknesses in particular areas, so it wouldn't be fair if we did such a thing. In order to pass you must get a 70 or above as your cumulative grade at the end of all five tests."

"Why a 70?" asked Naruto without raising his hand, gaining him a glare from Iruka and Sakura that he didn't notice. "A 60 is still a D…"

"Who hell would want someone who passed with a D become a ninja!?" asked Kiba from behind the blonde. "You're dumber than you look Naruto!"

Once again the class laughed as Naruto fumed. Katsuro simply shook his head and thought, _Naruto…think before you open that mouth of yours man._

After calming the class down again, the door to the room opened and a silver haired ninja carrying a folder walked into the class. "Hey Iruka," he said.

"Hey Mizuki," replied the Chuunin. "Got the tests I see."

"Yep," replied the ninja. Turning to the class he asked a question. "Are these the kids the ones taking the exam today?"

Iruka nodded. "Yeah."

"Then let's go ahead and get started then."

Nodding once again, Iruka addressed the class. "Alright. It's time to start the exam. Mizuki, another instructor here (which automatically made the silver haired ninja a chuunin) and I will be overlooking your written test. You'll have an hour to complete 50 multiple choice questions that are worth two points each." Iruka narrowed his eyes. "If you're caught cheating you will automatically receive a zero on this test…so keep your eyes to your own paper! Any questions?"

No one raised their hands.

"Then let the test begin. Mizuki?"

Mizuki nodded and began to hand out the test.

The class walked down the hall with Iruka in the lead after completing the written part of the exam. They were now heading towards the next test, the genjutsu test, which would be over seen by Iruka and the jounin (elite/master) shinobi Kurenai.

As they walked, the class remained silent as not to disturb the other classes. The expressions on their faces however, along with their body language spoke volumes as they all thought about the written exam and how well or how bad they did.

Sakura, the brains of the class, was pretty much skipping down the hall seeing how she had gotten a perfect score. Naruto however had his head down in shame, for he barely had pulled off a 60. Though it was impossible to tell, Shikamaru had also done very well on his test, getting a perfect score also. This surprised everyone, seeing how Shikamaru never passed any tests, seeing how he always thought it was too much trouble to pick up a pencil and actually write.

Walking at the end of the line, Katsuro, Akira and Hideaki, all had smirks on their faces and for good reason. They had all gotten a 90 or above on their tests, a perfect way to start off their exam. Even though it explained their elevated attitudes, passing the test was not why they were all smirking. They were smirking because they had all successfully cheated even while Iruka and Mizuki were watching.

Weeks before the exam the boys had come up with their own version of Morse code that was made up of a sequence of timed beats on a solid surface. Using the underside of their desks, thus feeling the vibrations through the wood, the boys had tapped the answers to the test to each other. They intentionally missed a few to keep the instructors from being suspicious.

"We rock…" muttered Katsuro as they walked, causing Hideaki and Akira to smirk.

Little did they know that Iruka was also smirking as he led them to their next test. _Those three are crafty…the Third was right about them._

Reaching their destination, Iruka stopped and faced the class. "Alright, here we are. This, as you know, is a room of shadows, a training ground for genjutsu. It is here that Kurenai-sensei and I will oversee your genjutsu test. Now remember, once inside, you'll all have to release yourself out from whatever genjutsu Kurenai has set inside. After that you will have to cast the genjutsu I taught you last week on her so she can see if you can perform a successful genjutsu." Iruka lowered his voice. "Make sure to add some spice to it, because she grades hard."

The students nodded quietly, thankful for the last minute tip.

Raising his voice again, Iruka continued. "Any questions?"

Hideaki raised his hand. "I'm guessing that the longer we take to release the genjutsu, the lower our grade gets?"

Iruka nodded. "Precisely."

Hideaki nodded and patted Katsuro on his back as the tall trainee covered his face in despair. "Sucks to be you," was his encouraging remark.

Katsuro flicked him off with his free hand, making Hideaki chuckle.

"Any other questions?" asked Iruka, looking around. This time no one raised their hands. "Then let us get started." With that, Iruka opened the door to the room of shadows, which was pitch black inside. "In you go."

One by one the class filtered in, with Katsuro being the last one in, with his hand still covering his face. Once they were all in, Iruka entered and shut the door. His footsteps slowly faded away as the genjutsu took place.

"Alright class…" said Iruka in the pitch black room. "Genjutsu test beginning…now."

Suddenly Katsuro no longer felt the presence of his friends as his mind was plunged into an everlasting darkness. Removing his hand from his face, Katsuro found himself in a dark forest, riddled with veins and hanging branches…nothing like the forests that surrounded Konoha. Slowly a creepy black mist drifted in between the trees, decaying everything it touched as it made its way towards the trainee. Katsuro scowled as it drew closer. _I hate genjutsu…whoever made them can burn in an everlasting fire._

Putting his palms together, the boy made a seal with his hands and closed his eyes. After a couple of seconds he opened them and yelled out. "Kai!" (Release) To his utter disappointment, instead of disappearing, the mist was now only a few feet away.

_I FUCKING HATE GENJUTSU'S, _thought the boy as he tried to release himself again, only to fail once more. By this time the mist was at his ankles. In a frantic attempt, Katsuro leapt into the air, in a attempt to evade the deadly mist, only to have it shoot up after him.

"DAMN IT!!" he yelled, seeing how he had nowhere else to go. As he fell towards the rising mist, Katsuro made the seal one last time and closed his eyes. _This is it, either I break this genjutsu or I'm toast! _Opening his eyes, Katsuro stared at the mist as it surged across his body.

"KAI!!"

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Alright, that's the end of the first chapter. Please read and review! I'll try to have the next chapter up by next week!


	3. To Become a Ninja Pt 2

Oni

The Path of a Shinobi

By Darth Xelas

**Summary**

Alright, here's the second part to chapter one. Please read AND review!! If you don't know how to submit a review, just scroll down to the end of the chapter and click on the tab on the left. You can leave a review, even if you don't have an Alias, so PLEASE!

Also, I apologize for the lack of actual fighting in this one, but I promise that there will be some definite action in the next part! Enjoy!

_Italicized words are thoughts._

Words in parentheses typically explain something or translate something.

* * *

**Chapter 1: To Become a Ninja Part 2**

Katsuro slowly opened his eyes and instead of seeing darkness, he saw an array of colors blending into one another. Blinking his eyes several times, the teen adjusted his eyesight and soon was able to make out the solid objects nearest to him, his friends, Akira and Hideaki. Squinting his eyes to make sure he wasn't in some other genjutsu, Katsuro asked a question. "Am I dead?" he asked quietly.

Akira shook his head in amusement, while Hideaki busted out laughing. Gaining control of himself, Hideaki decided to put his friend at ease. "No man…you're alive, even if you don't want to believe it."

Nodding, Katsuro rubbed his eyes until his vision returned in full, exposing the rest of his new environment. He, Hideaki, Akira and the rest of the class were in a dimly lit room with a few torches burning on pedestals on the wall, giving off the only light. In the front of the room were Iruka sensei and Yuuhi Kurenai, their genjutsu examiners.

Kurenai was a striking young woman with blazing set of crimson eyes and a thick set of black hair. She was a little shorter than Iruka and wore a red outfit that exposed her legs, with white bandages covering the majority of the clothing. Though little was known about her, those who actually paid attention knew that she was a Jounin (elite) ninja that specialized in Genjutsu (illusionary techniques). Like all ninja, she wore a set of sandals…hers being black.

Taking his eyes off the examiners, Katsuro looked around the room to find the other students scattered around. The boy frowned. "Was I the last one to release myself from the jutsu?"

Akira shook his head. "Nope," he responded. The tall trainee pointed, drawing Katsuro's attention to a "big boned" trainee with orange hair. "Chougi hasn't released himself from the genjutsu yet."

Chougi was the heir to the Akimichi Clan of Konoha and the best friend of Nara Shikamaru. He was a chubby kid that wore a white shirt with a green vest and a pair of shorts. He had spiky orange hair and a pair of spirals painted on his cheeks. No matter where he went, the boy could always be seen eating…save for now. At this particular moment, the boy's head was down, with his eyes closed and twitching as he tried to release himself from the jutsu. Shikamaru sat knelt in front of his friend, holding Chougi's bag of potato chips he always carried, looking up at the chubby trainee, wondering when he was going to snap out of it.

Hideaki gestured to his right. "It seems that Naruto is having a few problems too." A few problems were an understatement.

Naruto was literally rolling on the floor; his eyes clenched shut, and cussing up a storm as he tried to frantically escape the jutsu that plagued his mind. "Damn it!" he yelled, "Get off me you stupid mist! No! Yaaahh!!"

Katsuro shook his head. _Chougi and Naruto…not surprising…that still leaves me at the bottom of the stinkin' class. _"Well…it seems that my release jutsu still sucks…" he mumbled.

"Well that makes sense," said Akira quietly. "To dispel a genjutsu, you have to fluctuate your chakra (the energy that ninja use to fuel their techniques) supply…and seeing how you have a ton of chakra that can be pretty hard, without precise chakra control." The boy gestured towards a girl with dark blue hair and lavender eyes, which stood quietly in the corner. "That's why Hinata and I do pretty well with these basic genjutsu practices."

Katsuro nodded slightly. Hinata, like Akira, was from the Hyuuga Clan, a clan that specified in a style of combat that required daily chakra exercises and precision. So it only made sense that they had little problems when it came to chakra manipulation.

Yet while the clan was renowned for their combat abilities, the clan was riddled with civil strife and confusion, which separated the family. Hence the clan had divisions which placed some Hyuuga's in the Branch family (the body guards and/or second family, bearers of the "cage" seal) and the Head Family (the main house and bearer's of the strongest techniques). Hinata was from the Head Family. Akira was in the Branch Family. Despite this division however, some ties of friendship and honor existed…which was proven by Akira's quite devotion to the girl he had pointed out.

Scowling, Katsuro playfully shoved Hideaki. "That doesn't explain you however…"

"As a matter a fact it does," Hideaki replied, shoving his friend back. "Like Akira said, neither he nor I have as much chakra as you do…for obvious reasons." Hideaki lowered his voice when he said this, for this pertained to a subject that no else needed to know (The Sanbi Oni Ookami/ Three tailed Demon Wolf). "So, seeing how I have talent in genjutsu and ninjutsu…I'll never have as many problems with genjutsu that you'll have."

Katsuro's scowl deepened. The last thing he wanted to hear was that some demon was fucking up his performance. _Damn wolves…_

Time passed and soon it became obvious that those who were still in the genjutsu were not coming out of it. Placing her hands together in a commonly used seal, Kurenai released the jutsu from everyone in the room, as Iruka marked down those who had failed to release themselves.

Naruto instantly sprung up, one foot lifted into the air as he assumed a crane style stance as he looked around frantically. "Where's the mist!? Where am I? Show yourself!!"

Sasuke, who was standing next to Naruto, scowled and replied. "You failed the first test you dobe, now shut up and listen."

Naruto, realizing where he was upon hearing Sasuke's voice, relaxed and frowned. _I failed the release jutsu again…Damn it!_

Chougi, who had opened his eyes to his friend Shikamaru, looked hopeful, until Shikamaru shook his head. Now looking downcast, the chubby trainee took his bag of chips as Shikamaru stood and handed them back to him.

Katsuro looked around at all the others that had failed the release jutsu test…knowing he was right in the water with them. _Sure I passed it…but if I was in battle, I would've been toast…_"I hate genjutsu by the way…" muttered the boy, to no one in particular.

Akira and Hideaki, hearing their friend, smirked. They knew that all too well.

"Ok class," said Iruka, getting their attention. "As you know, that was the Release portion of the exam. Your score was ranked on how quickly you were able to free yourself from the genjutsu that was set by Kurenai-sensei. Those of you that failed to do so received a zero, so try and make it up on the next portion of the exam!"

Stepping forward, Kurenai nodded at Iruka, who returned the gesture and stepped back, giving her the floor.

"Alright class," she began. "The next part of the exam will be to test your ability at making a successful genjutsu. The way this will work, you will execute a genjutsu of your choice upon me and depending on its level and creativity; I will give you a grade from a zero to a one hundred. Now if I recall, Iruka taught you all the Kurai Enmu no Jutsu (Dark Mist Technique). So feel free to use any interpretation of that jutsu and you should do fine.

Sakura raised her hand. "What technique did you use on us?"

Kurenai smirked. "That jutsu was my own variation of the Kurai Enmu no Jutsu…the Yuuku Enmu no Jutsu (Mist of Fear Technique) a D-rank jutsu. By using the imagery of the dying trees, I fool the opponent into a state of fear, making it harder to concentrate on releasing oneself from the jutsu."

Hideaki raised an eyebrow. "So this was to test our capacity for fear also?"

Kurenai nodded, confirming the young trainee's outspoken thought. "Yes, in a manner of speaking."

_Hell, _thought Katsuro, _I was more worried about failing then the dying trees…_

"So, do we have any more questions before we begin?" asked Kurenai. When no one raised their hand, Kurenai nodded and gestured to Iruka, who made his way to the back of the room, where there was a door. "When you complete this test, make your way over to Iruka. He will inform you of your grade and let you into the next room, where you will wait for your classmates to finish. Once everyone is finished, you will make your way to the next area for your Accuracy Test. Does everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded their heads.

"Alright, then the first person to start us off will be Nara Shikamaru."

Sighing, Shikamaru stepped forward. "Figures," he muttered as he stood in front of the Jounin. Taking a moment, to look her in the eye, the lazy trainee slowly went through the seals to the Kurai Enmu no Jutsu he had learned with everyone else. Not bothering to add any other seals, the boy mumbled the jutsu. "Kurai Enmu…"

It took Kurenai less than a second to release herself from the jutsu. "That's all Shikamaru?" she asked. "No variations?"

Shikamaru looked at her with a bored expression. "What you see is what you get, sensei."

Kurenai frowned. _He's lazier then Asuma…by a long shot too._ "Nara Shikamaru receives a 75 on the genjutsu exam. Next will be Hyuuga Hinata!"

The room visibly grew quieter, for they now realized the price they would pay if they had not come up with a unique genjutsu.

Naruto looked sick, while Chougi simply shook his head in despair. Kiba began to curse under his breath, along with a few other people. Sakura however looked at ease, along with Sasuke and Shino.

"So," started Hideaki, to his friends. "You guys ready for this?"

Katsuro, who was strangely at ease (considering his first performance) responded with Akira, "Hell yeah."

It was time to put their training to work.

Slowly but surely, everyone went and did their genjutsu for their instructor. As expected there were those who exceeded and those who did not. To put it into perspective, Sasuke's illusion was the best in the class, while Naruto couldn't even get an illusion started. Soon the only people left were Katsuro, Akira and Hideaki.

"Hyuuga Akira," said Kurenai after Ino, Sakura's number one rival when it came Sasuke's affection, skipped out of the room in victory, with her long blonde hair dancing behind her. The girl had gotten a 93, a higher score then Sakura's.

Ignoring the girl's antics, Akira stepped forward and stood in front of the Jounin.

To clear her mind from the previous testers, Kurenai closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her head of all the other illusions she had experienced so she didn't risk mixing them up in her mind. Once everything was clear, she opened her eyes and grinned at the Hyuuga, who waited patiently and quietly. _He reminds me of the other Hyuuga, _thought Kurenai,_ I think her name was Hinata…_"Alright," she said. "Begin when you are ready."

Nodding his head, Akira made eye contact with the jounin…something he hated to do to anybody…especially when the person he had to look at was drop dead gorgeous. Taking a small breath, the Hyuuga ridded himself of any physical thoughts and began to do the seals for the Kurai Enmu no Jutsu…until he quickly added in two extra seals in the middle of the 

sequence, making a new seven seal technique. Finishing the seals, Akira called out his genjutsu. "Kage Enmu no Jutsu!" he yelled. (Shadow Mist Technique)

Kurenai found herself in a bright lit up area…only to have a collection of black mist appear out of nowhere and multiply, until it encompassed everything around her. Before she could react to the new darkness, Kurenai felt several things latch onto her that immediately began to travel across her body and constrict her. Looking down, she saw a collection of shadowy appendages wrapping around her body and swiftly making their way up to her neck.

_Amazing, _thought the Jounin as the shadows wrapped around her chest and shoulders, immobilizing her arms. _He's using the mist to shroud his opponent's vision and give a sense of claustrophobia, while he attacks the physical portion of the mind with the shadow arms…and his control and timing is superb, as expected from a Hyuuga. _

As the shadows reached her neck, Kurenai closed her eyes and focused the chakra flow in her mind. With a slight twitch of her eyebrow she totally reversed the flow of the chakra in her brain, breaking her out of the boy's genjutsu and returning her back to the Room of Shadows. Opening her eyes she smirked at Akira's surprised look. "That was very creative," she said. " Akira was it?" she asked.

Akira nodded his head, dumbfounded. _How in the hell did she break out of that genjutsu so easily…she escaped in mere seconds!_

"Well, with the creation of a new technique and the efficiency of which it was executed…" said Kurenai, thinking up the boy's grade. "I'll give you a 95."

Hearing his grade, snapped Akira out of his daze. Showing his excitement, the Hyuuga pumped his fist, while Katsuro and Hideaki applauded his performance.

"Never would've thought any of us would get above a failing grade seeing how she always releases herself so damn quick from every jutsu," said Katsuro as he clapped his hands.

Hideaki nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, she broke out of Sasuke's genjutsu in five seconds and still gave him a 98." The boy stopped clapping and waved at Akira as he went 

into the other room. "Just means that anything us trainees can come up with isn't anything when it comes to the knowledge that a Jounin possess'."

"Up next is Katsuro," said Kurenai.

Smirking at Hideaki, Katsuro made his way to the instructor and stood patiently, his confidence quite evident.

_So this is the holder of the Oni Ookami, _thought Kurenai as the boy stood smirking in front of her. It was not common knowledge that Katsuro held a Sanbi demon within him, yet for security reasons, all the jounin ninja were made aware of the situation…they were also sworn to secrecy…for the boy's safety. A luxury that another unfortunate trainee did not have.

_He seems totally confident, despite his earlier mishap…perhaps he has something interesting to show._ Moving her hair out of her eyes, Kurenai nodded, giving Katsuro the go ahead.

Catching her nod, Katsuro's smirk grew into a full blown grin as he began to convert some of his stamina into chakra. _Let's see her break out of this in a second…_The boy quickly did the five seals necessary for the Kurai Enmu, then quickly added on one more seal of his own creation, totally changing the technique.

Kurenai raised her eyebrows in surprise as she saw the unique seal. _He created a seal of his own?_

Not wasting any time, Katsuro stared into the Jounin's eyes and yelled out his technique. "Oni Hitomi! Kurai Enmu no Jutsu!" (Demon Eye, Black Mist Technique or Demon Eye of the Black Mist)

Kurenai found herself in a pitch black area, with a collection of dark mist revolving all around her. As she looked around, she could feel the wind whipping around her, tossing her hair around. Along with the wind storm, she could hear a distant growling of a beast of some sort. _He's added a lot of effects to the Kurai Enmu Jutsu…but so far nothing extraordinary._

As soon as Kurenai finished that thought, a swarm of shadow like arms emerged from the mist and slowly began to travel towards the jounin. _Akira's shadow arms, _thought Kurenai._ He copied the technique? _Slowly the arms reached her legs and began the journey up her body, towards her neck. _It seems that he doesn't have the same amount of control that Akira did, _thought the Jounin. _I could've dispelled this awhile ago…Well, I guess I can give him an 80 for-. _Kurenai's thoughts were interrupted as the she stared in fear at the latest change in Katsuro's illusion, a hideous pair of demonic eyes.

The eyes had appeared within the mist, just as the jounin was about to dispel the genjutsu. They were narrowed with a bestial anger and hate and were filled with tremendous amount of evil, blue chakra that rotated at a menacing pace. At this point the growling that was only a quite sound was now an overbearing noise that shook the Jounin to her core. The wind had picked up and was whipping the jounin's attire around her body and carried the growling sound across her ears over and over again.

The jounin slowly found herself unable to look away as the rotating chakra inside the eyes began to draw her into a hypnotizing spell that paralyzed her movements. _Dear Kami, _thought Kurenai. _Such a killer intent…I can't believe this kid could generate this kind of evil…_Suddenly the jounin snapped out of it as she felt something slither up her chest. Looking down she saw the shadow arms that were generated earlier had progressed much further and were closing in to strike. _He used the eyes as a distraction!_

Reacting quickly, Kurenai stared into the eyes once more and by her will alone, broke out of the hypnotizing spell that was being placed on her. Once free she quickly put her hands together and fluctuated her chakra flow. "Kai!!"

Katsuro stepped back in surprise as Kurenai opened her eyes, four seconds after he had put the genjutsu on her. _NO WAY, _he thought. _She broke out of the hypnotism, that quickly!?_

Kurenai took a deep breath and looked at the boy as he stood in complete awe. _To be able to project such a thing into the Kurai Enmu…he must be having nightmares. _Kurenai smirked, causing Katsuro to calm down a bit. _But he's used that to his advantage and created a viable technique…if he had used that on any of his peers, I doubt any of them would've been able to break free of it. _"That was amazing Katsuro," she said, putting a full grin on her face. "I can tell you have been practicing."

Katsuro, getting over his surprise, rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah," he replied, "obviously not enough though, sensei. You broke out of it so quickly."

Kurenai shook her head. "The fact that you could immobilize me for a moment is enough to prove you are capable in genjutsu. Remember, a second of hesitation in battle is enough to change the tide."

Katsuro nodded his head. _I guess she's right…_

"Anyways," said the jounin, "for your performance, I think I will give you a 96. I would give you a higher grade, but your chakra control still isn't where it needs to be." Kurenai smirked. "I think you know what I mean, Mr. Distraction."

Katsuro smiled and rubbed the back of his head again. _Yeah, those crappy shadow arms of mine…Akira can control his so well that he doesn't need to distract his opponents like I do…_"I understand Kurenai sensei. I'll make it better."

Kurenai nodded her head. "O.K. Go on and join the rest of your class, your friend will follow shortly."

Nodding, Katsuro turned and smiled at Hideaki, who returned the smile, then made his way to Iruka, who congratulated him and allowed him into the next room.

Taking her attention off the door, Kurenai brought her gaze to the last student, Hideaki. "Come over here Hideaki."

With his hands in his pockets, Hideaki came and stood in front of the jounin and looked her in the eye. "You said we can do any genjutsu we wanted to right?" asked the boy.

Kurenai nodded her head. "Yes, that's right. You don't have to use the Kurai Enmu if you don't wish too." _Even though everyone, but Uchiha Sasuke, did use it as a basis for their technique, _thought Kurenai.

Hideaki nodded. "Just wanted to make sure."

Kurenai grinned. "Whenever you are ready Hideaki."

Hideaki smirked. _If you say so…sensei. _Suddenly, Hideaki did a string of hand seals and ended on the tiger seal, the seal commonly used for Katon (Fire) techniques.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. _That's definitely not the Kurai Enmu…_

Smiling, Hideaki yelled out his genjutsu. "Jigoku Gouka no Jutsu!!" (Hell Fire Technique)

Suddenly Kurenai was on fire.

* * *

Alright, that concludes the second part! Sorry it took me so long to come out with this one…(genjustu's aren't my favorite thing to use…but, after writing all of this, I got really into it!) Like I always say…I'll try and get the next one up in a week and the next will have some hand to hand stuff, so stay tuned!


	4. To Become a Ninja Pt 3

Oni

Path of a Shinobi

By Darth Xelas

* * *

**Summary**

Hey there. I know, I know, a month is not a week…and I apologize. I have by no means given up or anything that dramatic, it just seems that recently that my writing streak just faded. I knew I _could_ type up the next chapter, but I didn't _feel_ like doing so. I know that sounds lazy, but there is a good reason for such behavior. When I don't feel like doing something and I force myself to do it anyways, it typically isn't done correctly or to the best of my ability. So while that may work in some other daily activities…I didn't want to sabotage my own writing and thus not give the same amount of quality that I've been trying to uphold. I should be writing _better_ not worse…So once again, I apologize.:(

As promised, there is going to be some taijutsu in this update and then the story will begin to pick up from there. So without any further ado, I give you the third part of chapter one...

_Italicized words are thoughts._

(Words in parentheses are translations or descriptions.)

* * *

**Chapter 1 Part 3: To Become a Ninja**

Katsuro smirked as he watched Hyuuga Akira palm strike Inuzuka Kiba across the face, sending the poor boy to the floor. With a look of anger, Kiba quickly regained his footing and went to charge his opponent once again…only to be struck once more. For Kiba, this was no doubt one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, for the Inuzuka clan was known for their ferocity in close combat, yet all Kiba had been able to show was that his face was a good punching bag.

Katsuro had to hand it to Kiba however. Out of the entire trainee's present, Kiba was one of the best taijutsu users he had witnessed and before now his combat abilities were second only to Sasuke in all of their exercises. But now he was going against a boy that had no more reason to hold back, a boy from the infamous Hyuuga clan.

Akira's sudden showmanship of skill in this area was all part of Katsuro and his friends plan to prove to the higher ups that they were** more** than ready to be official ninja's of Konoha. The first rule for any shinobi was to remain hidden and to the boys, that meant in more ways than one. It also meant the concealment of their true ability. By abiding by that rule to the letter, Katsuro and his friends had practiced on their own to perfect and expand upon every little thing that their sensei had bothered to teach them. And while it was tempting to show their abilities over the course of their ninja education, they kept it hidden, until the opportune moment. Now.

Akira had held back on several accounts, which was natural when one looked at the clan that he represented. The Hyuuga were more than just master's at taijutsu, they were also masters at chakra control, which made them master's at anything that dealt with chakra. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. By having such extreme chakra control exercises built within the foundation of their clan, it was very rare, not to find a Hyuuga at the top of their class, for there was hardly ever a jutsu they could not do. So being from such a clan, Akira had to suppress his true abilities in nearly every region of his ninja training, in order to make sure he did not expose himself. Hideaki was little different.

Being a natural at nearly every way of chakra control, Hideaki also had to keep his accomplishments in check, especially in the genjutsu regions. However, unlike Akira, Hideaki was not part of a clan that drilled in taijutsu lessons with every meal of the day. And to Hideaki, having his skill in ninjutsu and genjutsu was enough of an excuse to let his taijutsu skills stay a somewhat normal level for a trainee. In other words he was lazy.

Unlike Akira, Hideaki did not have a clan to put forth his reasoning on why he was a natural at controlling chakra. He simply was a genius and there was nothing more to prove. The Hyuuga trained by learning how to control their chakra and their body throughout the course of their lives, it was what made the clan great…But Hideaki was a mystery. Very few people showed the control he did; the control that surpassed that of even Akira. Out of the three, Hideaki possessed the best control of chakra, by far. It was him that had helped Katsuro form his Oni Hitomi Kurai Enmu Genjutsu, after learning Akira's Kage Enmu Genjutsu.

Katsuro crossed his arms as Gai sensei, the Jounin instructor that was overlooking their taijutsu exam along with Iruka sensei, called an end to the match between Akira and Kiba. Though the test was designed to analyze the students total taijutsu ability in a fight and not **compare** the two opponents, it did not matter so much that Kiba didn't land a good solid blow on Akira…But it was still obvious who was the victor, as Kiba walked away holding his mid section and Akira walked away with a few barely noticeable scratches. Ignoring the classes' silence, due to his performance, Akira made his way to stand with Katsuro and Hideaki.

"Nice job," said Hideaki, who also had his arms crossed, "Kiba didn't know what hit him."

Katsuro smirked. "You would figure he would have figured it out, after you palm handed him in the face twice in a row."

Akira chuckled. "Well, he wasn't exactly as easy as you say," said the Hyuuga as he looked in Kiba's direction. The boy in question was now sitting down with a pouting Akamaru on his head. "Even with me fighting at my best he still got really close to harming me…if he was allowed to use Akamaru, I would've been in some serious trouble."

Katsuro reached over and ruffled the Hyuuga's hair, much to the boy's annoyance. "But he didn't, so don't worry about it!" Katsuro pulled away as Akira rearranged his glasses and hair. "You did fine…"

Akira rolled his eyes. "Alright already...I was just saying…"

Katsuro reached for his friends head threateningly.

"O.K!" yelled the Hyuuga as he ducked out the way of Katsuro's reaching. "I get the point."

Katsuro folded his arms again with a smirk. "Good."

Hideaki shook his head. "You two are stupid by the way…"

Katsuro and Akira looked at one another with a confused expression.

"Did you hear something Katsuro?" asked the Hyuuga.

"Nope," responded the teen, "whoever it was must have forgotten there is a height requirement to speak to us."

A vein slowly appeared on Hideaki's head as Akira and Katsuro both went back to looking at nothing in particular. With his fist clenched, Hideaki opened his mouth to retort, just as his name was called out…along with Shino's name.

"You two are so dead when I get back," mumbled the slick haired trainee as he made his way to the already set up mat in the middle of the training dojo.

"Big words for a boy who barely graces five feet with his presence!" shouted Katsuro, causing Hideaki to turn around and flick him off before going to mat. Akira didn't stop laughing until Gai started the match.

The match went on without anything truly happening until two minutes into it. That was when Hideaki got backhanded by the mysterious Shino, then kicked in the midsection. The quick combo was enough to make Hideaki nearly fall and it also made Akira flinch as he saw blood fly from his friends lip.

Katsuro simply covered his face. _Leave it to Hideaki to get beat up after talkin' some shit._

"That's what he gets for not practicing his taijutsu more," said Akira as he watched Hideaki rush Shino. "He could've asked either of us for some help in that area, especially you," said the boy as he turned to his friend who still effectively had this face covered. "You owed him for the Oni Hitomi."

Katsuro lowered his hand as Akira addressed him. "Well you know Hideaki…he would be the greatest ninja alive if he would actually put some **effort** into what he did…taijutsu included." Katsuro put his hands in his pockets as he watched Hideaki successfully block a kick to the head. "Hell, the progress he has made in his ninjutsu and genjutsu was done without so much as a few practice sessions." Katsuro looked at Akira, who nodded his head in understanding. "He really is the greatest genius around…it's a pity that he hasn't found the motivation to put it to some good use."

"Well," began Akira as Hideaki successfully tripped Shino, only to have the silent boy recover and continue his attack, "At least he blew the pants off of his genjutsu exam…especially if what he said happened in there, was actually true."

Katsuro smirked. "Well, he isn't one to lie."

**-Flashback-**

Kurenai's eyes lit up in surprise and pain as she instantaneously combusted. In less than a second her ninja garments were burned away, only to be replaced by the searing flames that surrounded her. Before her burning eyes, she could see the one that had done this to her, the boy known as Hideaki. The boy that had no past, no knowledge of anything that would define his heritage, the mystery to all of Konoha. The boy…

_That should NOT be able to do such a genjutsu, _thought Kurenai in a pained thought.

Unable to focus enough to do anything with chakra, the jounin quickly went through what was real and what was illusion in her mind. She ignored the searing pain across every area on her body, along with the sound of cracking flesh. She ignored the putrid smell of burnt muscle and the cold, emotionless eyes of her attacker. Only then could she focus on what was real.

_CHAKRA!_

In the next moment Kurenai promptly drew a kunai from her ninja pouch as she released herself from the boy's unexpected jutsu. With the grace of a master ninja, she parried Hideaki's attack with his own kunai, throwing him off balance, then side kicked him away and back towards the entrance door way.

Having barely blocked the counter blow, Hideaki recovered and did a back flip in mid air and landed in a crouched position, his kunai held in his right hand. For a long while, he and Kurenai stared at one another, as Iruka simply stood there in shock.

Slowly, Hideaki smirked. "Damn sensei…you aren't a master at genjutsu for nothing I see. It took Akira a full five minutes to escape that one." Getting out of his offensive posture, Hideaki stood as he lowered his kunai. "Katsuro couldn't escape it at all."

Kurenai watched as Hideaki put his kunai away and smile, rubbing his head in embarrassment. With a shake of her head, she holstered her weapon back to her pouch.

Iruka was livid. "Hideaki!" he yelled. "What is the meaning of this!? Why did you…"

Kurenai held up her hand to silence the chuunin instructor. "Calm down Iruka," she said in an amused voice, "He didn't mean me any harm." The woman locked eyes with the young trainee. "He was just keeping me on my toes…isn't that right, Hideaki?"

Hideaki smirked. _You got that damn right…a couple more seconds and I would have had you sensei…I guess I need to practice some more._ "Yes Kurenai sensei…though I have to say I'm disappointed in the results." The teen crossed his arms. "Though I didn't wish you any harm, I was hoping for the jutsu to keep you distracted longer than that…" Hideaki frowned. "I practiced a long time to get that jutsu right."

Kurenai shook her head. "You did fine Hideaki. You have to remember your level of control won't reach mine for another few years, at the least."

Hideaki's disappointed look grew more prominent on his face. "Yeah, well…If you say so…"

Kurenai smirked. _To believe he could do a jutsu of that caliber at all is unreal…that was a B-rank genjutsu…no questions asked._ "Well, let's not worry about that now…we still have a test to finish."

Hideaki snapped out of it. "Oh yeah…"

Kurenai smiled. _Too bad this boy won't end up on my squad…_The crimson eyed jounin looked at the boy in a thoughtful manner. _Your fate has already been decided. _"With the high level of the jutsu in question…and the little test you threw in there for **me**," said the ninja with a raised eyebrow.

Hideaki smirked. "Your welcome."

Kurenai's smile grew. "I am happy to say you are the first and only person in your class to earn a perfect score for the Genjutsu Test. Congratulations."

Hideaki kissed the back of his fist and raised it to the sky. "And that's why I'm the best."

**-End of Flashback-**

Hideaki was on the defensive as Shino went into a full frontal assault. For a good thirty seconds, Hideaki could do nothing but defend until he saw a gap in one of Shino's movements. Reaching out, the slick haired trainee grabbed hold of Shino's jacket and pulled the unfortunate kid into a solid knee strike to the gut. Letting go, Hideaki continued the attack with a spinning side kick to Shino's mid section, sending the boy rolling across the mat. With that, Hideaki wisely waited for Shino to recover, for the mysterious kid had already surprised him once.

Akira raised an eyebrow as Shino calmly stood and faced his opponent. "It seems that we weren't the only ones holding back," said the Hyuuga. "Shino has never shown this level of skill…I know that Hideaki isn't the best taijutsu user…but I still figured that Kiba would be the only one to give him problems."

Katsuro shrugged. "Well, at least we were original…We've been holding back on nearly everything."

Akira nodded. "True." He turned back to Katsuro. "I agree that Hideaki's stunt against Kurenai was impressive…but I think my performance at our last test got the best reaction."

Katsuro smirked. "Yeah well…I don't think anyone would of expected a Hyuuga to get a perfect score on the **accuracy** test…But I agree, the reaction **was** priceless. Utter silence."

**-Flashback-**

"Begin!" shouted Iruka.

Uchiha Sasuke immediately crouched low to the ground as he drew two kunai from his pouch on his back, one in each hand. Without wasting another second, the boy threw the two weapons out ahead of him and towards the six pillars set up for the exercise. His kunai stuck the bull's eye on the two center targets.

Reaching back once more, the Uchiha drew two more kunai and let them fly, scoring to more bull's eye on the second set of pillars. Leaving hesitation behind, Sasuke reached back once more and grabbed on to two more kunai to finish the job. With a grunt of exertion, he let the last two kunai fly and embed themselves into the two outside pillars…the one on the right missing the bull's eye by an inch, a blow out performance.

Sasuke frowned as the class cheered. _Damn…I went a little too fast; I should've taken a bit more time to judge the angle._

Iruka scribbled some things on his clipboard before announcing Sasuke's grade. "Uchiha Sasuke received a 98 for his outstanding performance." _I swear this kid is __**too**__ good sometimes…_"Next up is Hyuuga Akira."

"Hell yeah!" shouted Katsuro as he heard his friends name called. "It's time to show the Uchiha, why the **Hyuuga** are the best! Show him how it's done man!"

"Yeah," said Hideaki. "Show him how to properly wield a kunai!"

Akira simply shook his head in embarrassment as he made his way to the designated spot.

Kiba looked at Katsuro and Hideaki as if they were insane. _They really think Akira can get a better grade then Sasuke!? They must be drunk or something…both of them got 90's for their grades, what makes them think a __**Hyuuga**__ can do any better?_

Akira stood patiently as he waited for Iruka's permission to start. He wisely ignored Katsuro's and Hideaki's constant cheering.

Taking a few more last minute notes, Iruka gave the go ahead. "Begin!"

It was over in three seconds.

Everyone, save for the now extremely loud Katsuro and Hideaki, stood in complete shock as six kunai sat totally imbedded in all six of the bulls eye's. The Hyuuga had thrown all six at once and didn't miss a single target.

Iruka dropped the clipboard as he stood totally shocked. He was too surprised to think.

Akira took a deep breath and stood straight from his crouched position. Looking over at his open mouthed sensei, the boy simply shook his head and went to retrieve his kunai.

**-End of Flashback-**

_And now, _thought Katsuro, _it's __**my**__ turn. _

Once the five minutes were over (the designated time for the exam bouts), Gai sensei called an end to Hideaki's and Shino's match, while Iruka called out their grades. Seeing how both boys had shown an adequate level of skill, it wasn't a surprise that they both received the same grade, a 92. Akira still held the highest grade of a 95 in this particular test.

"Well," said Katsuro as Hideaki made his way over, "did it go as well as you hoped?"

Hideaki rubbed his busted lip as he rolled his eyes. "Shut-up…how was I supposed to know that Shino could actually fight?"

"You wouldn't have had to worry about that if you had practiced like you were supposed to," mumbled Akira as he looked up at the ceiling.

Hideaki shoved the glasses wearing kid with his free hand. "Shut it!"

"Don't be mad at him for getting your own ass handed to you," said Katsuro with a smirk. His smirk faded as Hideaki regarded him with an evil look. _Uh oh…_

"Katsuro, please make your way up to the mat!" said Iruka.

"Oh, would you look at that," said Katsuro as he nimbly evaded Hideaki's lunge. "Looks like I have a test to take." With that he made his way to the center of the class, where the mat 

was…all the while ignoring the cursing from his slick haired friend. _He's going to so kick my ass later…oh well, it was worth it._

Making it to the ring, Katsuro moved to the center as he waited in patience. _I wonder who it will be…_

"Uchiha Sasuke, please come to the mat," said Iruka.

The Sasuke fan base immediately began cheering upon hearing his name. Ignoring the unnecessary dramatics, Sasuke made his way to the mat, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed.

Hideaki ceased his insults as he saw who his friend would be fighting. "Oh, that lucky bastard," he said with a smirk. "I can't believe he actually gets to face him directly."

Akira adjusted his glasses. "This is going to be insane…I don't think Sasuke realizes what he's up against." _If people think __**my **__taijutsu was good…then they have no idea._

"Of course he doesn't," replied Hideaki. "No one does." _No one but us…and seeing how he has beaten us both in a taijutsu match…__**at the same time**__…I would say we know a lot._

Katsuro smirked. _This is too good…now I can test my full ability on someone other than Akira and still have a decent fight… _"Tell me, does that cheering ever get annoying?" Katsuro asked his opponent.

Sasuke opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You have no idea."

Katsuro smiled and replied, "Sucks to be you."

"O.K you two," said the intense Gai sensei, "get ready…"

Sasuke entered a crouching position as Katsuro entered a common fighting stance.

"BEGIN!"

Katsuro's fist was suddenly in Sasuke's eye as the dark haired teen yelled out. "BOUT DAMN TIME!"

* * *

Alright, that brings an end to this part. I know it didn't have a whole bunch of taijutsu, but as promised there was some. (I had to finish the other two tests too…couldn't just leave them --) Next section…Katsuro vs Sasuke! The Ultimate Taijutsu Match and the end of the Genin Exams!


End file.
